felt smart, might delete later
@outeast.bsky.social
Won't post much as I have no insight or expertise, but sometimes forget that when drunk with the power of a keyboard. Pronouns whatever. Writer, editor etc. of ESL materials in Prague. Interests here: Politics, climate, SFF, linguistics, i dunno
This is the point of Mr Beast. He is like an avatar of free market ethics, where human rights and dignity are commodities.
it's a mark of how fucked up the world is that this doesn't even phase me. at least he's paying the people he tortured. could be worse. off to read about conditions in our government's latest concentration camp.
In Mr Beast’s new video, a woman is alone for two weeks on a platform in the sky. and each day, a balloon is released at an inopportune moment for her. And if she fails to shoot the balloon with an arrow, they take a small portion of the platform that is her home
December 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM
This is the point of Mr Beast. He is like an avatar of free market ethics, where human rights and dignity are commodities.
Can we have some less interesting times please
December 16, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Can we have some less interesting times please
Impressive reporting by London Centric on a major but under-recognised source of riverine pollution open.substack.com/pub/londonce...
London's other sewage scandal
London Centric chases illegal sewage from a single polluting pipe on its toxic journey across the capital.
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Impressive reporting by London Centric on a major but under-recognised source of riverine pollution open.substack.com/pub/londonce...
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s company down to doom with him?
December 12, 2025 at 3:47 AM
But shall this crazed old man be tamely suffered to drag a whole ship’s company down to doom with him?
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
Before ‘6-7’ leaves the theatre, a quick substack on catchphrases. As ever, there';s nothing new beneath the sun: open.substack.com/pub/jonathon...
He Knew, You Know
Charles Mackay and Victorian Catchphrases
open.substack.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Before ‘6-7’ leaves the theatre, a quick substack on catchphrases. As ever, there';s nothing new beneath the sun: open.substack.com/pub/jonathon...
Why did no one tell me that Nina Conti has a new furry love story weird comedy road movie out??
December 10, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Why did no one tell me that Nina Conti has a new furry love story weird comedy road movie out??
A thing that frustrates me *so much* is that the more credible AI advocates constantly highlight the achievements of the best models, and OK, whatever, but the one that above all we can't escape is Google's AI search and it is *nothing but poison*.
But here's the real cherry on top re: discovering a published paper that I can only assume was written by an LLM, full of fabricated citations.
When I was searching in various places to confirm that those citations were fabricated, Google's AI overview just kept the con going.
When I was searching in various places to confirm that those citations were fabricated, Google's AI overview just kept the con going.
December 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
A thing that frustrates me *so much* is that the more credible AI advocates constantly highlight the achievements of the best models, and OK, whatever, but the one that above all we can't escape is Google's AI search and it is *nothing but poison*.
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
In what is surely a sign of the coming apocalypse, this festive masterpiece is now only £0.99 on Amazon in the U.K. grab it while you can, death comes to us all.
www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Bells-S...
www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Bells-S...
December 6, 2025 at 6:50 PM
In what is surely a sign of the coming apocalypse, this festive masterpiece is now only £0.99 on Amazon in the U.K. grab it while you can, death comes to us all.
www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Bells-S...
www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Bells-S...
Sure but just wait till you see the porn stars
There's an army staff sergeant named Max Fightmaster, and a marine named Rad Heroman.
The best soccer player was called George Best
December 6, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Sure but just wait till you see the porn stars
Pretty much this! Plus they all come from enshittification culture, and GenAI is so severely loss-making that its future trajectory is visible from space. Maybe there will be something worthwhile after the bubble has burst, if it takes out today's major players.
I don't care if you think that AI can do some really nifty things. It's being rammed down our throats by obscenely wealthy men who are also, obviously, both dangerously right-wing and mentally unstable, and no rational society should be allowing that to happen. End of discussion.
December 5, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Pretty much this! Plus they all come from enshittification culture, and GenAI is so severely loss-making that its future trajectory is visible from space. Maybe there will be something worthwhile after the bubble has burst, if it takes out today's major players.
The Dublin Trilogy by @caimhmc.bsky.social
Introduce yourself by naming five books by Irish writers that you have read.
Seven Steeples (Sara Baume)
A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing (Eimear McBride)
Under the Net (Iris Murdoch)
Night (Edna O'Brien)
Nora (Nuala O'Connor)
A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing (Eimear McBride)
Under the Net (Iris Murdoch)
Night (Edna O'Brien)
Nora (Nuala O'Connor)
December 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The Dublin Trilogy by @caimhmc.bsky.social
My most unpopular take is that the definition of assault generally is so broad as to rob it of meaning. It should at the least be limited to causing or intending to cause actual bodily harm. Perhaps there could be a lesser offense such as botheration.
LATimes has a most excellent breakdown of the deliberate untruth ICE keeps telling about assaults of federal officers being up some astronomical percent.
(LAT doesn’t do gift articles; sorry.)
Juicy bits to follow:
(LAT doesn’t do gift articles; sorry.)
Juicy bits to follow:
Attacks on ICE up 1,000%? Trump administration claim not backed up by court records
The Trump administration has cited a more than 1,000% increase in assaults on immigration agents to justify aggressive tactics. But court records reviewed by The Times show the majority of the alleged...
www.latimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:43 AM
My most unpopular take is that the definition of assault generally is so broad as to rob it of meaning. It should at the least be limited to causing or intending to cause actual bodily harm. Perhaps there could be a lesser offense such as botheration.
Bring back bodysnatching and call it cryp-- oh that's taken
Bring back dumpster diving and call it skypto.
bring back Pogs and call it flypto
November 27, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Bring back bodysnatching and call it cryp-- oh that's taken
I mean, it *is* hard - brutally so - to break through without resources and contacts. Even the so-called nepo babies and industry plants fail most of the time. But a music market supercharged on slop is going to make that orders of magnitude worse. This is sabotage not support for talented kids.
with alt text:
Also, the ghosts of the Delta are holding on line one and Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson are waiting to have words with this privileged, foolish girl. Apparently, there is quite a line for having words.
Also, the ghosts of the Delta are holding on line one and Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson are waiting to have words with this privileged, foolish girl. Apparently, there is quite a line for having words.
November 27, 2025 at 6:46 AM
I mean, it *is* hard - brutally so - to break through without resources and contacts. Even the so-called nepo babies and industry plants fail most of the time. But a music market supercharged on slop is going to make that orders of magnitude worse. This is sabotage not support for talented kids.
I can't be the first to tag @actualnames.bsky.social in here.
November 26, 2025 at 7:23 AM
I can't be the first to tag @actualnames.bsky.social in here.
Happy World Linguistics Day from Prague, Czechia!
Happy World Linguistics Day from Montreal, Canada!
(I wonder how many different places we can get world linguistics day wishes from this year!)
(I wonder how many different places we can get world linguistics day wishes from this year!)
Happy World Linguistics Day from Melbourne, Australia!
November 26, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Happy World Linguistics Day from Prague, Czechia!
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
I think I'm anonymous enough to post this. A contracted writer on the pub I work for sent in a *clearly* AI written article and my bosses were *too embarrassed* to challenge her over it.
Absolutely terrifying perfect about what happened when one editor started digging into a pitch that was too good to be true, and uncovered countless AI-generated fake articles in international outlets under the same byline
A plea to all outlets - start training people to spot this stuff
A plea to all outlets - start training people to spot this stuff
November 24, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I think I'm anonymous enough to post this. A contracted writer on the pub I work for sent in a *clearly* AI written article and my bosses were *too embarrassed* to challenge her over it.
Loving A Market of Dreams & Destiny by @trip.bsky.social. I discovered it via a recommendation by Tom Pollock, whose work I adore but who seems to have all but disappeared after several splendid books - this recommendation being the only news I could find. Much love to you Tom if you're out there.
November 24, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Loving A Market of Dreams & Destiny by @trip.bsky.social. I discovered it via a recommendation by Tom Pollock, whose work I adore but who seems to have all but disappeared after several splendid books - this recommendation being the only news I could find. Much love to you Tom if you're out there.
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
Thanks for ordering again, truly -- writing this book was so hard and took so much longer than I even could have anticipated, and I'm so glad you're still here 🩷
November 24, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Thanks for ordering again, truly -- writing this book was so hard and took so much longer than I even could have anticipated, and I'm so glad you're still here 🩷
Oh I just found out the sequel to HENCH is actually-and-for-real happening! I had this on Audible pre-order for aaaaages but gave up. Just happily re-pre-ordered. If you haven't read Hench, I *highly* recommend it - it's tremendous fun.
Getting to show you all this cover and announce that VILLAIN is officially coming out in May of next year is such a joy and a relief i don't even know how to express it.
www.harpercollins.com/products/vil...
www.harpercollins.com/products/vil...
November 24, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Oh I just found out the sequel to HENCH is actually-and-for-real happening! I had this on Audible pre-order for aaaaages but gave up. Just happily re-pre-ordered. If you haven't read Hench, I *highly* recommend it - it's tremendous fun.
Good morning first snow of the year!
November 24, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Good morning first snow of the year!
The Christmas movie argument starts earlier every year
15 years of having to watch ppl argue about whether Die Hard is the best Christmas movie when Home Alone is right there
November 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The Christmas movie argument starts earlier every year
Reposted by felt smart, might delete later
The Belfast walls prove more enduring than the Berlin Wall bit.ly/4p8ykYY more than a quarter of a century after the Good Friday agreement Belfast is still a (physically) divided city
97 ‘peace walls’ still divide Belfast. Will they ever come down?
Twenty-seven years on from the Good Friday agreement, miles of ‘peace walls’ still separate Protestants and Catholics in Belfast. Some people want them built higher
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The Belfast walls prove more enduring than the Berlin Wall bit.ly/4p8ykYY more than a quarter of a century after the Good Friday agreement Belfast is still a (physically) divided city
Google this not the other thing
I would like all of you, each and every one, to go google “Miss Universe National Costume Competition 2025 Norway” right now
November 22, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Google this not the other thing